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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » Orthorrhapha » Asiloidea » Mydas Flies (Mydidae) » Ectyphinae » Opomydas » Opomydas townsendi
Photo#1064872
Mydidae? - Opomydas townsendi - male - female
Copyright © 2015 Greg W. Lasley

Mydidae? - Opomydas townsendi - Male Female
Cattail Falls trail, Big Bend National Park, Brewster County, Texas, USA
May 4, 2015
We found this pair in copula on the edge of a small road in the desert near Cattail Falls. Any ID help appreciated.
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Contributed by Greg W. Lasley on 9 May, 2015 - 3:20pm
Last updated 1 November, 2016 - 10:47pm

Nice find & photo
Moved from Mydas Flies.
… Aaron Schusteff, 1 November, 2016 - 10:47pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Flies.

They resemble this pair:

… Ken Wolgemuth, 9 May, 2015 - 4:28pm login or register to post comments

 
Opomydas townsendi?
Opomydas townsendi seems to be a decent match?
… Greg W. Lasley, 9 May, 2015 - 9:05pm login or register to post comments

 
Yep, you got it.
Zooming in on your image, the basitarsus of the hind leg can be seen to be elongate compared to the subsequent tarsomeres...so (from the Mydidae key in the MND(1)) this is in subfamily Ectyphinae.

There are only two nearctic genera in that subfamily...the other being Heteromydas...which has just one species, H. bicolor and can be ruled out by it's very different color pattern (see here).

Between the two species of Opomydas, this can be seen to be O. townsendi from the relative shortness of the antennal club of the male (relative to the preceeding antennal segment).
… Aaron Schusteff, 1 November, 2016 - 10:46pm login or register to post comments

 
Thank you, Aaron. I very much
Thank you, Aaron. I very much appreciate your analysis and comments.
… Greg W. Lasley, 2 November, 2016 - 6:48am login or register to post comments

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